Kerf-cutting machine



Jan. 12, 1943.

F. A. LINDGREN KERF-CUTTING MACHINE Fild Jan. 24, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR ATTORNEY Jan. 12, 1943.

F. A. LINDGREN KERF-CUTTING MACHINE 3 Sheets- Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 24, 1941 mm QM I I I l I I I I I I I I V I l I I v Hl l l I-.. 4 A N H H .W H H m. H T 3 QR n1 \LM 8 i w a m w WM NN QM vw v WY R Mm wm P WM Jan. 12, 1943, I F. A. LINDGREN; 2,308,451

Filed Jan. 24, 1941 if s Sheets-She et s 72 4L 77 I; 60 v g 79 7 INVENTOR V ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 12, 1943 UNITED STTES All."

FFICE KERF-CUTTING MACHINE Frank A. Lindgren, Western Springs, 111., assignor 'to Goodman Manufacturing Company, Chicago,

111., a corporation of Illinois 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in kerf-cutting machines of the room and pillar type, and has as its principal objects to provide a novel and improved form of machine of the class described of a more compact and simplified construction than formerly, and arranged with a view towards simplicity and ease in operation and control.

A more specific object of my invention is to provide a machine of the class described includinga plurality of winding drums for feeding the machine in either direction of cutting and including a novel and simplified form of plural speed fluid drive for these winding drums.

Other objects of my invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of 'a kerf-cutting machine constructed in accordance with my invention, with certain parts broken away and certain other parts shown in horizontal section;

Figure 2 is a view in sideelevation of the machine shown in Figure 1, with certain parts broken away and certain other parts shown in substantially longitudinal section;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken substantially along line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line 5-5 of Figure 1; and

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the fluid circuit of the machine.

In the drawings, the machine i11ustrated-ineludes an underframe l0 formed from a bottom plate H having upturned side walls I2, l2 and herein shown as extending the length of the machine and as being in two sections. Said underframe forms a support for a motor [3 disposed at the forward end thereof and for a frame and gear housing l4 disposed at the rear end thereof. Said frame and gear housing is adapted to house and form a bearing supporting means for the drive from said motor to the feed gearing and cutter chain drive mechanism, as will hereinafter more clearly appear as this specification proceeds.

A cutter bar generally indicated by reference character l6'is mounted on the underside of the motor [3 and gear housing I4 and projects forwardly from the forward end of said motor. Said cutter bar is of a usual construction having a channelled guide extending along the periphery thereof for guiding a cutter chain I! for orbital movement'thereabout in a closed path. The arrangement of the side walls l2, l2 of the under frame I!) and the mounting of a cutter bar on the underside of the motor casing are such that the cutter chain moves in the space between the top of said bottom plate and the bottom of said motor and gear housing, to a point adjacent the rear end of said underframe, to discharge cuttings from the rear end of the machine through said underframe.

The cutter chain i1 is driven from a cutter chain drive sprocket l9 keyed on the lower end of a vertical shaft 28. Said shaft is disposed adjacent the rear end ofsaid gear housing and is journaled therein on spaced bearings 2|, 2| (see Figures 2 and 3). One of said bearings is disposed just above the hub of the sprocket l9 and the other is disposed at the upper end of said vertical shaft and is mounted in a bearing sup- .port portion 22 of the frame I4. A hub 23 of a bevel gear 24 is journaled on said vertical shaft on bearings 25, 25. A clutch member 26 is splined on the outer periphery of said hub and is provided with jaws 21, 21 adapted to engage jaws 28, 28 formed in a clutch collar 29 secured to said vertical shaft. A suitable system of links and levers (not shown) is provided to shift said clutch member vertically along said shaft, to selectively drive said vertical shaft from said bevel gear.

The drive from the motor l3 to the bevel gear 24 includes an armature pinion 30 which meshes with a spur gear 3| on the forward end of a longitudinal shaft 32. A bevel pinion 33 is keyed on said longitudinal shaft, adjacent the rear end thereof, and meshes with and drives the bevel gear 24.

A truck driving socket 34 is mounted on a shaft 35 journaled in the bearing support member 22 in alignment with the shaft 32 and driven from provided for moving the machine about the mine floor on its own bottom and for sumping the cutter bar and chain endwise into the coal face and feeding said cutter bar and chain laterally across the coal face when sumped therein, in a manner well known to those skilled in the art, so not herein described in detail. Said winding drums are herein shown as being mounted on opposite sides of the machine, adjacent the rear end thereof and are each adapted to be driven at either a high traveling speed or a low feeding speed by means of a separate fluid motor 4| in a similar manner, and are each of a similar construction, so the drive to only one of said winding drums need herein be described in detail.

Each winding drum 39 is mounted on a stub shaft 42, mounted in one side of the frame and gear housing 4 and projecting laterally therefrom. Said winding drum is provided with an inwardly projecting flanged portion 4.3 having an internal gear 44 mounted therein,.for'free rotation with respect thereto. Said internal gear is provided with a plurality of apertures 45, 45, adapted to be engaged by a pin 46 for selectively connecting said internal gear with said winding drum, for driving said drum.

.The outer periphery of the flanged portion .43 of each winding drum is adapted to be engaged by a friction brake band 41, for retardingrotation of the winding drum whichserves as the'tail rope drum, during cutting across the face, .for maintaining the machine in substantially perpendicular relation with respect to the coal face. Said friction band is applied to or released from its winding drum by means of a suitable linkage arrangement (not shown).

The drive to the internal gear 44 includes a pinion 49, which is meshed therewith. Saidipinion is keyed to the hub of a cage of a planetary geared reduction device 53. Said hub is journaled in a bearing 59. A plurality of planetary pinions 54, 54 are mounted in said cage .on pins 55, 55. Saidpinions mesh with .an internal gear 56, fixedly secured to the frame and housing l4, and are driven from a sun gear 51 on 'a transverse shaft 58. A worm gear 59 iskeyed on said shaft and is meshed with and driven from a worm 69 on a longitudinally extending shaft 6| Said worm and worm gears are of a self-locking type, to permit said winding'drums to hold said machine in position one pitching seam without the application of the friction bands 41, 4-1 to their associated winding drums. The forward end of said longitudinally extending shaft is connected with and driven from one of the fluid motors'd-l by means of a flexible coupling 65.

Referring now in particular to the means driven from the motor l3, for supplying fluid under pressure to the fluid motors 4|, 4| and for .driving said motors independently or simultaneously at either a high or low speed, a pair of fluid pumps 66 and 67 are provided. Said pumps are arranged in tandem and, as herein shown, the fluid pump 66 is of a greater capacity than the fluid pump 61, so that the pump 65 may supply fluid to either or both of the fluid motors 4|, 4| at one pressure, for driving said motors at a relatively high speed, and the other pump-may supply fluid to either or both of the motors 4|, 4| at a lower pressure, for'driving said motors at a lower feeding speed. Said fluid pumps may be of any suitable construction, but are herein preferably shown as being rotary pumps of a well known sliding vane type, driven from a common, longitudinally extending shaft 69. Said shaft is .driven from .the armature pinion 30 by means of aspur gear 1.0.

Referring now in particular to Figure 6 and the fluid system, a fluid storage tank II is provided. Fluid is supplied to the pumps 66 and 67 from said tank by means of pipes 12 and I3. Pipes l4 and lead from the pressure ends of said pumps to a valve 16. Said valve is herein shown as being a simple form of 4-way valve, so arranged that when in one position, fluid under pressure may be circulated from the pump 66 through a pipe 17 to either or both of the fluid .motors 4|, 4|. When said valve is in this position, the pump 61 will circulate fluid through a pipe 19 back to the tank H. When said valve is in its other position, the pump 61 may circulate 'fluid through the pipe 11 to either or both the fluid-motors 41,, 4|. The pump 68 will then circulate fluid through the pipe E9 and back to the tank Valves 89, 89 are provided to control the .admission of fluid under ressure to the fluid motors 4|, 4|, and a pressure responsive relief valve 8| is connected between the pipe 71 and a return ,pipe 82, to relieve pressure from the pipe ll'upon overload of either motor, and to permit the circulationof fluid back to the tank II when the valves 80, are'closed.

It may be seen from the foregoing that either or both of the fluid motors 4|, 4| and their associated winding drums 39, 39 maybe driven from either of the pumps 66 or 61, thusproviding a fluid drive to said winding drums for independently or simultaneously rotating said-drums at either a high positioning speed 'ora low feeding speed, and arranged to relieve power from said drums upon overload, by means 'of'the relief valve 8|.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which my invention may be embodied, it will be understood that the construction there- .of and the arrangement of thevarious part may bealtered without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Furthermore, I do not wish to be construed as limiting my invention to the specific embodiment illustrated, excepting as it may be limited in the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

In a kerf-cutting machine, a frame, a motor, a projecting cutter chain-carrying cutter bar, means for feeding said cutter'bar into and transversely across a coal face including a pair of winding drums, each of which has a flexible feeding member adapted to be woundthereon, means for restraining movement of either of said drums in an unwinding direction, and means for independently driving said winding drums at either a high or low speed including a plurality of fluid pumps, aspur geared drive connection between said motor and said pumps, a fluid motor disposed on each .side of said pumps behind said motor but in advance of the axes of rotation of said winding drums, selectively operable fluid connections, connecting said pumps and motors, for independently driving said motors from said pumps at either a high or low speed, a drive connection from each fluid motor to an associated winding drum including a planetary pinion, a cage rotated thereby, a pinion driven by said cage and meshing with an internal gear on said drum, and a single pressure responsive .relief valve for relieving fluid pressure from either motor upon overload of its associated winding .drum.

FRANK A. 'LINDGREN. 

